"In the end, when all is said and done, I just want to be there with my family, right?"

That's what one good friend told me recently.  Isn't that what we all want? To feel loved, to give love and to live our lives in such a way that we can live in heaven with our families forever?

In this podcast episode we present a new framework.  A new way to think about things to help you understand the three pillars and identities necessary to create a strong converted family.

Find more show notes at https://www.myteachingmatters.com/blog/012

The story of the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon is a favorite of a lot of people.  And for good reason! It's inspiring, it's encouraging, and oh so powerful! How did their mothers do it? What did the mothers of the stripling warriors do differently from the Nephite mothers that made the testimonies of those teenage boys so incredibly strong?

Many of us can have decent Come, Follow Me lessons at home, but how can we make gospel discussions and experiences a part of our normal life so it changes us? How can I teach my children when I barely feel like I know enough? How can I see the daily teaching moments that occur each day when I feel so busy?

What is keeping us from having more gospel discussions at home? Is it important to have gospel discussions outside of sit down lessons? Why? How can we overcome those challenges? What can you do to help your family feel more comfortable opening up and sharing their thoughts and insights?

What is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for teaching our children the gospel? Why is it so powerful? Why is it underutilized? And how can we go about using it more in our lessons?

What does it mean to experience the power of Christ at home? Can I have those types of experiences? Can I as a parent help my children internalize gospel principles? How can I help my children have a testimony of their own?  That's what we're going to explore in this episode.

What can I do when I feel like my efforts to teach the gospel aren't good enough? What should I expect of myself and my family when it comes to teaching the gospel? What can I do to make teaching easier when I'm short on time? These are the types of things we want to explore in this episode.

Does God speak to children?  What does it look like?  What can we do as parents to help our children recognize the Holy Ghost and what God is trying to tell them?  Those are the types of things we want to explore in this episode.

What makes a good question?  Why do some questions create rich discussion while other questions flop and all you hear are crickets?  Is it possible to use questions in your gospel lessons to lead your family towards meaningful change?  Let's find out in today's episode.

Kids want to jump and run and play and fidget.  How can we get them to listen to our lessons?  That's what we want to talk about today. 

Key Takeaways

We need to set realistic expectations for our children.  Expecting them to sit quietly and pay attention for 20 minutes isn't super realistic.  But there are other things we can do to keep them engaged.

Having multiple SHORT (5-10 minute) lessons can be more effective than having fewer long lessons.  And it adds up to be quite a bit.

You can use kids desire for movement to your advantage.  Have them act a story out, raise their hand when they hear a certain word, or simply have them march around while singing songs or talking about things.

There are a lot of resources out there designed for young children.  The Come, Follow Me primary manual is super useful.  As is The Friend.